Written Answers Monday 7 November 2005

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action will be taken to improve waiting times for bowel cancer treatment.

Mr Andy Kerr: The 2005 cancer waiting times target is a big challenge for the NHS. We set a stretching target and recognise it will be difficult to meet. NHS boards are continuing to take action to accelerate change and eliminate blockages in referral, diagnosis and treatment.

  A National Delivery Plan setting out additional actions aimed at driving down waiting times across the patient pathway is available using the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/cancer/cancerwaits.

  An extra 25 nurse endoscopists will be trained during 2005 and 2006 to optimise use of endoscopy in bowel cancer diagnosis. In addition, over time, the recently announced new diagnostic waiting times standards (no more than nine weeks for a range of diagnostic imaging techniques) and the accompanying Diagnostic Project now getting underway will also help improve bowel cancer waiting times.

Cancer

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-5169 by Rhona Brankin on 3 February 2005, whether the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group has now made its recommendations to the Executive on two-view mammography and, if so, when these recommendations will be made public.

Mr Andy Kerr: Following their meeting on 3 October 2005, the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group recommended that the Executive consider a change in policy to introduce two views at every round of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP). A webpage to host papers from the Advisory Group is currently under construction and will be sited at www.scotland.gov.uk . The minutes from the October meeting have not yet been finalised but will appear on this site in due course.

  Before any changes in policy to the SBSP are introduced we must ensure there will be no detrimental impact on existing cancer screening and follow-up services. We will be consulting with regional cancer networks and board chief executives. I expect a full business case for my consideration in early 2006.

Care of Elderly People

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether private care providers working with older people are required to provide training for unqualified care staff and, if so, what the minimum standard of training required is.

Lewis Macdonald: Care services defined in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, are regulated by the Care Commission. Providers are required by regulations to ensure that their employees receive training appropriate to the work they are to perform and to give suitable assistance for the purpose of obtaining further qualifications appropriate to their work. The National Care Standards also provide further guidance on staff training requirements where appropriate.

  The Scottish Social Services Council, established under the same at, is the regulatory body for the social service workforce. To register with the council, workers will be required to meet conditions. These include meeting the qualifications criteria for the job they are doing, as set by the council. Registration of the workforce is being carried out in phases. The next groups of workers to be registered are Managers of Adult Care Homes and Managers of Adult Day Care services. Registration of these workers will commence by 1 January 2006.

Dental Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on ensuring the best possible oral health amongst children.

Lewis Macdonald: Scotland has one of the most extensive oral hygiene education and training plans for children anywhere in Europe. This education and training plan is already extensive but will move towards comprehensive coverage of children in Scotland by 2008, under the action plan announced earlier this year, we are investing sums of £4 million, £10 million and £15 million over this and the next two financial years in the oral health aspects of the action plan.

Dentistry

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all children have access to the services of an NHS dentist.

Lewis Macdonald: At 31 March 2005, 66% of children were registered with a NHS general dental practitioner. We are implementing new schemes to promote registration and associated preventative activity for children from birth. We are creating financial incentives for dentists who treat all categories of patients, including children.

  We are investing £295 million over the next three years in NHS dental services, the vast majority of which will go towards primary care dental services. Over this period £29 million will be provided to support improvements to oral health.

Dentistry

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Ayrshire and Arran to discuss the provision of NHS dentistry in the area.

Lewis Macdonald: Officials meet regularly with lead officers from NHS boards, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, to discuss implementation of An Action Plan for Improving Oral Health and Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland . They last met on 25 October.

Dentistry

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase access to NHS dentists.

Lewis Macdonald: An Action Plan for Improving Oral Health and Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland contains a number of measures aimed at increasing the dental workforce.

Dentistry

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have deregistered from dental practices in each of the last two years, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is provided in the table, which shows all NHS patients whose registration status indicates "withdrawn".

  Number of NHS Patients Whose Registration Status Shows "Withdrawn"1; by NHS Board; Year Ending March

  

NHS Board of Practice where Patient is Registered
2004
2005


Argyll and Clyde
174
1,621


Ayrshire and Arran
187
219


Borders
10,134
1,402


Dumfries and Galloway
1,295
191


Fife
977
10,540


Forth Valley
398
278


Grampian
6,719
6,036


Greater Glasgow
950
641


Highland
267
395


Lanarkshire
337
1,082


Lothian
2,508
2,424


Orkney
81
3


Shetland
2
0


Tayside
776
4,537


Western Isles
39
3,344


Scotland
24,844
32,713



  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

  Note: 1. Based on patients whose registration status indicates "withdrawn" between the dates in question. This occurs when there is a request for the registration record to be withdrawn (made usually by the dentist, and subsequently approved by the NHS board). The numbers also include withdrawals carried out where more than one active registration exists for the same patient, as part of data cleansing. Some patients whose registration has been withdrawn may register with another NHS dentist elsewhere. There may also be retrospective additions to these data.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-18774 and S2W-18775 by Nicol Stephen on 27 September 2005, whether, in answering the questions in this manner, the Executive has determined that there is no benefit to Scotland from engagement with the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs; if so, on what indicators it based that decision, and, if not, what benefits it has determined are available to Scotland under the agenda for growth and jobs.

Nicol Stephen: The Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs is very important for Scotland. My replies to S2W-18774 and S2W-18775 of 27 September 2005 set out the clear overlap between the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs and the Executive’s economic priorities, as set out in our long-term economic strategy The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland and the Executive’s Enterprise strategy A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS) .

  The Executive welcomes the re-alignment of the Lisbon agenda towards growth and jobs and the clear overlap with existing Executive policies and targets. With regard to engagement of Lisbon, Scotland benefits through participation, by the Executive offices in Brussels, in the various regional networks relating to Lisbon which set out to foster shared learning and disseminate best practise in terms of delivering and meeting the Lisbon objectives. Finally, the Executive is committed to delivering jobs and growth for Scotland and in doing so creating a more dynamic, innovative and knowledge based economy.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to develop the setting of its own targets for meeting each of the revised Lisbon agenda indicators.

Nicol Stephen: The refocused Lisbon Strategy contains only two EU level targets; national expenditure on research and development (R&D) and the national employment rate (both for 2008 and 2010). The Commission recommends R&D investment should be at least 3% of GDP and that member states should have an employment rate target of 70%. They also recommend a secondary female employment rate target of 60%.

  With regard to these targets, the Executive publishes annually a statistical report detailing total public and private sector expenditure on research and development in Scotland, which includes comparisons relative to gross domestic product (GDP), as well as, international comparisons. This is available at the following weblink http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/09/2991205/12064.

  The Executive also has an existing target, as part of the Partnership Agreement and Spending Review 2004, to increase business investment in research and development in Scotland relative to our OECD competitors. This target is also monitored as part of the measurement of progress toward Smart Successful Scotland (SSS), which is available at the following weblink:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/MP%20Report%202004.pdf.

  With regard to the employment rate target Scotland currently exceeds the Lisbon 2010 target and has an employment rate which is among the highest in the European Union. Scotland is also significantly above the EU female employment rate target. The Executive does not have a formal employment rate target but has a range of policies in this area with regard to increasing employability.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to join the Lisbon Regions network and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Nicol Stephen: The Lisbon Regions Network is a consortium of regional offices in Brussels who come together periodically to provide workshops relating to Lisbon. The structure of this particular Lisbon network, which we are not formally part of, means that we can participate and benefit fully from these workshops without the requirement to become a formal member.

  For example, the network came together recently for the Committee of the Regions Open days in Brussels from 10 to 13 October 2005. This was the third year that the Committee of the Regions has run Open Days and part of the conditions of participation are that regions form partnerships to present seminars on regional policy topics. The Scottish Executive lead a group of regions who have their offices on Rond Point Schuman in Brussels namely Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Malopolska. Our own contribution at this particular meeting was a seminar on benchmarking the ten new member states and with Malapolska we provided a Scottish-Polish breakfast for Open Days participants.

  The Executive, through our offices in Brussels, is connected to the various European regional networks that exist.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to undertake any detailed analysis assessing the implications for Scotland of the implementation of each of the different components of the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs.

Nicol Stephen: As set out in the answer to question S2W-18774 on 27 September 2005, the new guidelines established in the revised Lisbon Strategy, which focus greater attention on productivity and employment, align the Lisbon policy priorities closely with those that currently exist in Scotland and the United Kingdom. The economic development priorities of the Executive are set out in the long-term economic strategy The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland and the Executive’s Enterprise strategy A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS) .

  The three key Lisbon objectives for growth and jobs (making Europe a more attractive place to invest and work; knowledge and innovation for growth; and creating more and better jobs) align the re-focussed Lisbon more closely with the three main policy objectives of SSS (global connections; skills and learning, and growing business). Progress on these objectives, and an independent commentary on the issues, is provided in the report Measuring Scotland’s Progress towards A Smart Successful Scotland (SSS), which can be accessed via the following weblink:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/MP%20Report%202004.pdf.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which stakeholders in Scotland it has consulted regarding its submission to the UK Government’s consultation on a national reform programme for growth and jobs.

Nicol Stephen: The UK government, in preparation of its national reform programme (NRP), held an open stakeholder dialogue from 8 July to the 12 August 2005, inviting comments and input from all stakeholders across the United Kingdom on the proposals for structural economic reform. Responses were received from the private, public and voluntary sectors.

  The Executive’s input to the UK NRP consultation was based around our long-term economic strategy The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland and the Executive’s Enterprise strategy A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS). We did not consult further on these documents as both had been informed previously through discussion with stakeholders and through regular consultation with the Scottish Parliament and Parliamentary committees.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the response it submitted to the UK Government’s consultation in respect of a national reform programme for growth and jobs has been approved by the Parliament, in light of the EU Presidency conclusions of March 2005 which committed EU member states to draw up national reform programmes geared to meeting the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy following consultation "with all stakeholders at regional and national level, including parliamentary bodies in accordance with each member state’s specific procedures".

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W 18777 on 27 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  As noted in that answer, national reform programmes were produced at member state level. As part of this process the UK Government consulted widely with stakeholders in developing proposals for structural economic reform. This included an open stakeholder dialogue from 8 July to the 12 August 2005, inviting comments and input from all stakeholders across the United Kingdom on the proposals for structural economic reform.

  The Executive’s input to the UK NRP consultation was based around our long-term economic strategy The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland and the Executive’s Enterprise strategy A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS). We did not consult further on these documents as both had been informed previously through discussion with stakeholders and through regular consultation with the Scottish Parliament and parliamentary committees.

Economy

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17445 by Nicol Stephen on 25 July 2005, what the gross domestic product per head of population was in (a) Inverness, (b) Perth, (c) Stirling in (i) the most recent year for which figures are available, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 1997.

Nicol Stephen: Figures are not available for the geographical areas requested. However, the following table provides the gross value added (GVA) per head for the NUTS3 areas which contains these areas. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at basic prices is commonly referred to as GVA.

  Table: Gross Value Added (GVA)1 Per Head by NUTS3 Area at Current Basic Prices 1997, 2001 and 2002 (£ Per Head)

  

 
1997
2001
2002


Scotland
11,980
13,909
14,651


Perth and Kinross and Stirling
11,147
12,013
12,801


Inverness and Nairn and Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey
9,365
11,084
11,819



  Source: Office for National Statistics: Regional Accounts.

  Note: 1. Estimates are on a workplace basis. Estimates of workplace based GVA allocate income to the region in which commuters work.

  These figures are from the Regional Accounts produced by the Office for National Statistics. GVA per head for other Scottish NUTS3 areas is available on the Office for National Statistics website http://www.statistics.gov.uk/.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of business investment in research and development in Scotland is from (a) non-Scottish, (b) non-UK and (c) non-EU companies.

Nicol Stephen: Of the £521 million spent on business enterprise research and development (BERD) in Scotland in 2003, 71% (£367 million) was performed by non-Scottish firms, 63% (£326 million) was performed by non-UK firms and 53% (£277 million) was performed by non-EU firms.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to adopt any of the recently announced education reforms proposed by the UK Government, such as enabling more schools to become self-governing independent state schools and making it easier for good schools to expand and for new schools to open based on parental demand.

Peter Peacock: The Executive’s reform programme for Scotland’s schools – the most comprehensive school modernisation programme for a generation - was set out a year ago in Ambitious, Excellent Schools  (Bib. number 34227).

  The English White Paper clearly shares many of our own aims – not accepting second best from any school, the highest expectations for all our children, and greater parental involvement in education – but we have a distinctive, devolved education system in Scotland to which our policies and actions are tailored.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make it mandatory to incorporate financial education within the secondary curriculum.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make basic financial education, such as on the savings ethic, mandatory within the primary school curriculum.

Peter Peacock: There are no plans to make financial education compulsory within the curriculum.

  The secondary school curriculum in Scotland is not prescribed by statute and delivery is a matter for education authorities and schools. The Scottish Executive’s policy is to ensure that guidance to education authorities and schools and the framework of national qualifications provide opportunities for teaching financial education.

  Work on the implementation of A Curriculum for Excellence will produce a framework for enabling all young people to become responsible citizens, effective contributors, confident individuals and successful learners. We will ensure that cross-curricular issues such as citizenship education, education for sustainable development, enterprise in education, creativity and financial education are reflected in new guidance across curricular areas.

Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has provided in each year since 1997 to local authorities to promote and support the teaching of English as a foreign language.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer question S2W-15235 on 11 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Education

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving for the provision of specialist art and music teachers in schools.

Peter Peacock: As part of the Partnership for a Better Scotland commitment to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007 there is the provision of 1,000 additional visiting specialists, which includes art and music teachers, working across the primary and secondary boundary.

  Significant financial investment is being made in the training, induction and recruitment of these additional teachers to meet the commitments. We are in the final stages of discussions with COSLA about the distribution of funding to employ extra teachers.

Employment

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the members of the task force addressing employment opportunities in Moray; how much expenditure has been involved so far; what interaction there has been between Executive departments, and what contact there has been between the Executive, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry on this issue.

Nicol Stephen: The Moray Task Force comprises: Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Moray, Moray Council, Jobcentre Plus, NHS Grampian and Communities Scotland, and draws on the expertise of others in the local community planning partnership as required. Staffing and expenditure on the running of the Task Force is being provided through HIE Moray. Information on this is a matter for the Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise Moray.

  My department is in regular contact with the local enterprise company as it develops the draft Strategy and action plan for the future direction of the Moray economy.

  The Executive liaises with the UK Government on a number of issues including the reduction of RAF personnel in Moray.

Employment

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people worked in the (a) public and (b) private sector, broken down by industry in (i) Edinburgh, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Aberdeen, (iv) Dundee, (v) Perth, (vi) Inverness and (vii) Stirling in each of the last six years.

Nicol Stephen: The preferred source for public sector employment estimates is the recently published public sector employment statistics series, which is based on the agreed National Accounts definition of the public sector. These estimates are constructed from administrative and survey data from public sector organisations. However, estimates from this source are only available for Scotland.

  Data for 2003 and 2004 by local authority area is available from the Annual Scottish Labour Force Survey (LFS). In the LFS workers classify themselves into the appropriate category thus public sector estimates sourced from the LFS include agency workers and self-employed workers. Agency workers, in particular, are typically employed by private sector firms, though they provide a service within the public sector. Thus the LFS overestimates the size of the public sector. The Office for National Statistics estimate that the LFS overestimates public sector employment by about 5%.

  This LFS data for 2003 and 2004 is given in the tables of Employment by Sector, Industry and Work Local Authority Area, 2003-2004, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 37850).

  The Annual Scottish Labour Force Survey was enhanced for the first time in 2003. This enabled a more detailed breakdown of key labour market statistics, both in terms of their characteristics and the coverage provided at local authority level. Thus data is not available before 2003.

  Specific estimates for Inverness and Perth are not available since these are not local authority areas.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices for littering have been issued by police in each month since they were introduced, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping have been issued by police in each month since they were introduced, broken down by local authority area.

Ross Finnie: This information is not held centrally.

Europe

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland was one of the regional authorities represented at the meeting of national growth and jobs co-ordinators in Brussels on 6 October 2005; by whom Scotland was represented as a regional authority; which of the social partners in Scotland was invited to attend, and, if Scotland was not represented as a regional authority or by social partners, who at the meeting represented Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The meeting of national growth and job co-ordinators in Brussels on 6 October 2005 was for members states. Scotland was represented at the meeting by senior officials from the UK Cabinet Office who were representing the shared UK and Scottish position.

Europe

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18780 by Nicol Stephen on 27 September 2005, which of the 23 integrated guidelines for growth and jobs, produced by the European Commission, it has discussed with the UK Government and what policy and budgetary actions it will take in respect of those guidelines focused on areas of responsibility devolved to Scotland to ensure that Scotland complies with the Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs, broken down by guideline.

Nicol Stephen: As noted in my answer of 27 September 2005 (S2W-18780), the European Commission’s Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs (2005-2008) set out a broad package of policy measures for member states. From which, Member States including the UK, have now compiled three-year national reform programmes (NRPs). The UK NRP was published on 13 October 2005 and is available at the following weblink:

  http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/093/DD/lisbon_jobs131005.pdf.

  The 23 integrated guidelines for growth and jobs relate to guidance on macroeconomic, microeconomic and employment issues. Many of the EU integrated guidelines had already been implemented in the UK and Scotland. The UK Government invited consultation on all areas of the NRP. As the UK position on economic reform is consistent with that of the Executive our input was based largely around the Executive’s Economic Development Strategy The Framework for Economic Development Scotland (FEDS) and the Executive’s Enterprise Strategy A Smart Successful Scotland (SSS), which cover most of the integrated guidelines.

  Full details of the composition of planned public expenditure in Scotland for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 are contained in the 2004 Spending Review publication Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2005-2008: Enterprise, Opportunity, Fairness. This is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/babs.pdf.

  Within this publication there is also a specific section outlining how Executive expenditure contributes specifically to growing the economy in Scotland.

Europe

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18777 by Nicol Stephen on 27 September 2005, whether the Scottish Parliament was directly consulted by the Executive or the UK Government on the UK Government’s production of a national reform programme for growth and jobs in accordance with the European Commission's Lisbon agenda.

Nicol Stephen: The UK Government consults widely with national, regional, local and sectoral stakeholders in developing proposals for structural economic reform. Many of the reforms necessary to meet the Lisbon objectives had previously been implemented in the UK and in Scotland and had been consulted on. In preparation of its national reform programme (NRP), which was published on 13 October 2005, the UK government held an open stakeholder dialogue from 8 July to the 12 August 2005, inviting comments and input from all stakeholders across the United Kingdom on the proposals for structural economic reform.

  The Executive’s input to the UK NRP consultation was based around our long-term economic strategy The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland and the Executive’s Enterprise strategy A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS). We did not consult further on these documents as both had previously been informed by discussion with stakeholders and through regular consultation with the Scottish Parliament and parliamentary committees.

Further and Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the financial implications of a European institute for technology would be for Scottish universities and research funding in Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19607 on 2 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http:/www/.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Further and Higher Education

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children from low-income families have entered further education since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: Household income data for further education(FE) students are not collected centrally.

  However, based on the home address of each student the following table provides information on the percentage of full-time FE enrolments aged 16 to 20 who come from deprived areas. A small number of full-time students enrol more than once in a given year. The table has to be read with reference to the benchmark that 17.5% of all young people of a similar age group live in these areas of deprivation.

  Percentage of Young Full-Time FE Enrolments from the 15% Most Deprived Areas

  

Academic Year
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Percentage from deprived areas
20%
21%
22%
22%
21%



  Source: Scottish Funding Councils and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Further and Higher Education

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have studied biomedical sciences at university in each of the last five years.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students are studying biomedical sciences at university.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students it estimates will study biomedical sciences at university in each of the next three years.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have studied (a) accredited and (b) non-accredited biomedical sciences courses at university in each of the last five years.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students are studying (a) accredited and (b) non-accredited biomedical sciences courses at university.

Nicol Stephen: The data held centrally by the Scottish Executive is received from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Official statistics use a standard coding system for subjects agreed between HESA, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and users of the statistics. Biomedical sciences is not a subject code used in that coding system.

  Biomedical sciences is a course title used by universities to indicate a programme of study that draws on a range of subjects. These are typically:

  -anatomy, physiology, pathology

  -topics in biological sciences

  -microbiology

  -medical and veterinary biochemistry

  -topics in subjects allied to medicine.

  However, only a few of all the students in these subject areas actually study specifically designated biomedical science programmes.

  As there is no clear mapping between course titles and subjects the Scottish Executive does not hold centrally the information requested.

Further and Higher Education

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost was for running (a) accredited and (b) non-accredited biomedical sciences courses in each of the last five years, broken down by university.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is for running (a) accredited and (b) non-accredited biomedical sciences courses, broken down by university.

Nicol Stephen: As noted in my answer to question S2W-19808 on 7 November 2005, the data held centrally by the Scottish Executive does not record the number of students specifically on biomedical science courses.

  The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) distributes all Scottish Executive funding to support higher education in Scotland. The funding provided by SFC contributes towards the direct and indirect costs of providing learning and teaching for students studying in Scottish higher education institutions. SFC distributes funding on the basis of funding groups which reflect the broad relative costs of teaching subjects in that category.

  Courses within Biomedical Science are categorised under SFC’s Other Health and Welfare and Science funding groups. The per-student units of resource for these funding subject groups (at Undergraduate level) for Academic Year 2005-06 are:

  Other Health and Welfare: £6,065

  Science: £7,145.

Further and Higher Education

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will give to the Scottish University for Industry for (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08 and from which level 3 budget this will come.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish University for Industry will receive the following funding:

  £8,500,000 for 2005-06

  £9,500,000 for 2006-07

  £9,500,000 for 2007-08.

  These funds will come from the Learndirect Scotland level 3 budget.

Further and Higher Education

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on ensuring access to further and higher education for mature students with children.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to widening access to further and higher Education, and to ensuring that everyone has the chance to learn, irrespective of their background or personal circumstances.

  Our student support arrangements are designed to help those who need it most. In addition to providing support to help meet the costs of living whilst studying, the Scottish Executive also provides specific help to students towards the costs of registered child care.

  At further education level, students can apply to their college for a discretionary bursary to help with the costs of living whilst studying. In addition, students with dependant children may apply for an award from their college’s Childcare Fund. It should be noted that all funding at further education level is provided at the discretion of the student’s college on a means-tested basis.

  Further education colleges also deliver courses in a range of formats and locations to meet the needs of their communities. By delivering learning opportunities in local outreach centres at the heart of communities, providing courses on a part-time basis, with flexible timetables and the provision of childcare, students are helped to fit studying around their other commitments.

  At higher education level, lone parent students studying on a full-time basis may apply for a Lone Parents’ Grant of up to £1,180 per year (2005-06 figure) and a Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant of up to £1,100 per year (2005-06 figure) from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Full-time student parents may also apply for a discretionary award from their institution’s Childcare Fund.

  In addition, since 1999, 1,700 full-time equivalent part-time undergraduate places have been funded through the Scottish Funding Council. This is a practical means of widening participation particularly for students with child care responsibilities.

G8 Summit

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were arrested for crimes and offences relating to G8 protests, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on the number of individuals arrested for G8 related offences during the period of the Summit were recorded by the Scottish Police Information and Co-ordination Centre (S-PICC). These figures are broken down by police force area and are included in the table below. No figures are available for the number of arrests by local authority area.

  

 
BTP
MDP
Tayside
Central
Dumfries and Galloway
Fife
Grampian
Lothian and Borders
Northern
Strathclyde


Violence
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0


Damage to property
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0


Public Order
1
3
96
80
0
0
0
152
0
48


Drugs related
2
0
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
2


Dishonesty
2
1
0
0
9
0
0
0
2
0


Total
7
4
99
82
9
0
0
154
6
50



  Scottish total: 411 arrests.

H5N1 Influenza

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19440 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2005, how many doses of Tamiflu there are in Scotland and how many doses will be available in (a) three, (b) six, (c) 12, (d) 18 and (e) 24 months time.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is provided in the following table. The 1.3 million courses referred to in the answer to question S2W-19440 will all have been delivered to Scotland within 12 months. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  

Period
No. of Doses in Scotland


End of October 2005
235,000


3 months
454,000


6 months
751,000


12 months
1,336,000

H5N1 Influenza

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18941 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 September 2005, when the 270,000 doses of vaccine against H5N1 influenza will be delivered.

Mr Andy Kerr: A delivery date has not been arranged yet. The Department of Health, on behalf of the UK Health Departments is tendering on the procurement of vaccine against H5N1. The Scottish Executive is purchasing 270,000 doses of vaccine as part of this process.

Health

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17890 by Mr Andy Kerr on 8 August 2005, what the terms of reference are for the December 2005 progress review on troponin testing commissioned by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: The objectives of the assessment are to evaluate the dissemination of the recommendations of the health technology assessment; appraise the documentation, by seeking the views of users on factors such as accessibility, clarity, relevance and ease of understanding; measure the impact of the recommendations on national and local health policy makers and on patients, focussing particularly on changes to patient outcomes as a result of implementation; capture any secondary effects on research and other related services and make recommendations regarding future strategies for dissemination and implementation in order to enhance the impact of health technology assessments.

Health

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will give to providing complementary therapies within the NHS.

Mr Andy Kerr: It is open to NHS boards to provide complementary medicine through the NHS in Scotland, funding such provision through their unified budgets. Decisions on whether to provide any particular form of complementary medicine are for NHS boards to make, based on their assessment of local needs. The Executive has no plans to change the way complementary therapies are provided.

Higher Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many trained planners are expected to graduate in each year of the next four years, broken down by institution.

Nicol Stephen: The number of future graduates depends on the number of places offered by institutions, the number of students choosing the particular subject and remaining with that subject and their success at gaining a qualification. All these are matters determined by the universities and the individual students.

Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of readmission to hospitals were in each NHS board area in each year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following tables show emergency admissions within 28 days of discharge by NHS Board of Treatment for calendar years, 1997 to 2004.

  Emergency admissions within 28 days will include cases that are readmissions for complications resulting from the original hospital stay but will also encompass cases completely unrelated to the previous discharge from hospital. In addition, the emergency admissions within 28 days have been presented separately for medical and surgical specialty groupings as the readmission rates can differ quite markedly between these two groups.

  Table 1 Emergency Admission Rate within 28 days of Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital 1997-2004P

  

NHS Board of Treatment
 
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004P


Scotland
Discharges
550,942
559,396
550,538
536,038
523,634
494,863
483,614
477,115


Emergency readmissions
26,735
26,726
27,006
27,597
27,754
26,863
26,501
25,981


Rate
4.9
4.8
4.9
5.1
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.4


Argyll and Clyde
Discharges
36,877
38,861
39,008
37,779
37,711
36,186
37,348
37,791


Emergency readmissions
1,901
1,989
2,019
1,991
1,934
1,829
2,017
1,990


Rate
5.2
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.1
5.1
5.4
5.3


Ayrshire and Arran
Discharges
40,421
42,022
41,286
39,544
38,463
36,280
34,928
36,472


Emergency readmissions
1,504
1,525
1,562
1,607
1,703
1,685
1,698
1,813


Rate
3.7
3.6
3.8
4.1
4.4
4.6
4.9
5.0


Borders
Discharges
9,728
9,959
9,827
9,042
9,407
8,588
8,117
8,322


Emergency readmissions
453
426
447
427
451
465
431
503


Rate
4.7
4.3
4.5
4.7
4.8
5.4
5.3
6.0


Dumfries and Galloway
Discharges
14,753
15,586
16,107
16,644
16,720
13,423
12,707
11,474


Emergency readmissions
677
654
719
678
737
736
624
533


Rate
4.6
4.2
4.5
4.1
4.4
5.5
4.9
4.6


Fife
Discharges
29,304
30,226
29,750
29,123
29,066
26,535
27,122
27,118


Emergency readmissions
1,210
1,228
1,217
1,375
1,348
1,336
1,321
1,310


Rate
4.1
4.1
4.1
4.7
4.6
5.0
4.9
4.8


Forth Valley
Discharges
26,678
27,288
27,139
27,544
28,755
26,981
24,226
22,713


Emergency readmissions
1,285
1,240
1,295
1,358
1,308
1,271
1,357
1,354


Rate
4.8
4.5
4.8
4.9
4.5
4.7
5.6
6.0


Grampian
Discharges
51,279
51,932
53,513
50,718
49,880
43,728
43,181
42,533


Emergency readmissions
2,370
2,273
2,526
2,534
2,398
2,340
2,553
2,375


Rate
4.6
4.4
4.7
5.0
4.8
5.4
5.9
5.6


Greater Glasgow
Discharges
125,892
128,603
123,791
123,382
122,433
120,072
114,214
109,217


Emergency readmissions
7,022
7,116
7,029
7,253
7,187
7,033
6,683
6,374


Rate
5.6
5.5
5.7
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.8


Highland
Discharges
24,510
24,012
23,565
23,267
23,081
23,306
22,623
23,736


Emergency readmissions
1,137
1,106
1,138
1,248
1,147
1,255
1,208
1,246


Rate
4.6
4.6
4.8
5.4
5.0
5.4
5.3
5.2


Lanarkshire
Discharges
52,570
52,664
50,919
49,589
48,568
47,582
46,042
46,047


Emergency readmissions
2,840
2,875
2,735
2,569
3,056
3,049
2,930
2,755


Rate
5.4
5.5
5.4
5.2
6.3
6.4
6.4
6.0


Lothian
Discharges
82,542
81,633
78,118
77,165
72,143
68,468
66,444
64,698


Emergency readmissions
3,948
3,988
3,800
4,026
4,015
3,450
3,093
3,227


Rate
4.8
4.9
4.9
5.2
5.6
5.0
4.7
5.0


 Orkney
 Discharges
 1,443
 1,473
 1,495
 1,456
 1,568
 1,627
 1,748
 1,730


 Emergency readmissions
 61
 63
 70
 67
 68
 70
 98
 97


 Rate
 4.2
 4.3
 4.7
 4.6
 4.3
 4.3
 5.6
 5.6


Shetland
Discharges
2,016
2,068
2,002
1,995
2,323
2,343
2,181
2,416


Emergency readmissions
73
85
81
78
118
139
95
107


Rate
3.6
4.1
4.0
3.9
5.1
5.9
4.4
4.4


Tayside
Discharges
50,372
50,598
51,151
45,883
40,599
35,675
35,878
33,890


Emergency readmissions
2,182
2,095
2,252
2,286
2,176
2,037
2,102
1,951


Rate
4.3
4.1
4.4
5.0
5.4
5.7
5.9
5.8


Western Isles
Discharges
2,557
2,471
2,867
2,907
2,917
3,165
3,059
3,133


Emergency readmissions
72
63
116
100
108
133
151
147


Rate
2.8
2.5
4.0
3.4
3.7
4.2
4.9
4.7



  Table 2 Emergency Admission Rate within 28 days of Discharge from a Medical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital 1997-2004P

  

NHS Board of Treatment
 
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004P


Scotland
Discharges
429,608
446,562
461,265
469,775
473,280
468,842
466,381
465,794


Emergency readmissions
41,686
43,527
44,733
46,362
48,539
48,611
48,276
48,760


Rate
9.7
9.7
9.7
9.9
10.3
10.4
10.4
10.5


Argyll and Clyde
Discharges
30,525
31,666
32,269
33,058
32,645
33,110
32,971
33,074


Emergency readmissions
3,244
3,361
3,461
3,526
3,519
3,800
3,673
3,846


Rate
10.6
10.6
10.7
10.7
10.8
11.5
11.1
11.6


Ayrshire and Arran
Discharges
27,044
29,304
30,935
31,344
34,300
33,878
34,167
34,399


Emergency readmissions
2,623
2,838
2,949
2,999
3,346
3,571
3,729
3,941


Rate
9.7
9.7
9.5
9.6
9.8
10.5
10.9
11.5


Borders
Discharges
8,293
9,036
9,313
9,755
10,132
9,651
9,145
9,776


Emergency readmissions
910
983
1,059
1,050
1,124
1,160
1,089
1,213


Rate
11.0
10.9
11.4
10.8
11.1
12.0
11.9
12.4


Dumfries and Galloway
Discharges
10,288
11,186
11,380
11,659
11,508
11,449
10,314
9,819


Emergency readmissions
1,093
1,119
1,206
1,236
1,241
1,278
1,054
992


Rate
10.6
10.0
10.6
10.6
10.8
11.2
10.2
10.1


Fife
Discharges
24,718
25,794
24,986
24,694
25,060
24,414
24,586
24,951


Emergency readmissions
1,977
2,093
2,182
2,281
2,243
2,245
2,325
2,272


Rate
8.0
8.1
8.7
9.2
9.0
9.2
9.5
9.1


Forth Valley
Discharges
16,716
17,192
17,733
19,959
20,804
20,675
16,144
15,628


Emergency readmissions
1,782
1,860
1,798
2,157
2,253
2,178
1,909
2,091


Rate
10.7
10.8
10.1
10.8
10.8
10.5
11.8
13.4


Grampian
Discharges
40,895
41,757
43,157
45,197
43,822
44,243
45,003
43,772


Emergency readmissions
4,178
4,274
4,500
4,672
4,567
4,530
4,687
4,785


Rate
10.2
10.2
10.4
10.3
10.4
10.2
10.4
10.9


Greater Glasgow
Discharges
102,972
106,295
106,471
108,736
111,289
108,543
109,466
111,767


Emergency readmissions
9,911
10,305
10,381
10,467
11,057
11,034
10,550
10,879


Rate
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.6
9.9
10.2
9.6
9.7


Highland
Discharges
16,196
17,331
17,761
17,343
17,552
17,972
19,026
19,189


Emergency readmissions
1,360
1,480
1,590
1,537
1,731
1,746
1,891
1,904


Rate
8.4
8.5
9.0
8.9
9.9
9.7
9.9
9.9


Lanarkshire
Discharges
39,968
43,410
47,347
44,893
48,837
52,065
52,656
53,821


Emergency readmissions
3,435
3,664
3,795
3,832
4,716
5,158
5,479
5,359


Rate
8.6
8.4
8.0
8.5
9.7
9.9
10.4
10.0


Lothian
Discharges
74,965
74,678
76,725
78,611
73,794
68,770
66,626
62,901


Emergency readmissions
7,322
7,197
7,146
7,754
7,755
7,049
6,549
6,045


Rate
9.8
9.6
9.3
9.9
10.5
10.3
9.8
9.6


Orkney
Discharges
605
586
607
659
720
881
911
1,022


Emergency readmissions
62
69
58
46
77
111
122
138


Rate
10.2
11.8
9.6
7.0
10.7
12.6
13.4
13.5


Shetland
Discharges
814
900
897
1,086
1,098
1,014
1,003
1,117


Emergency readmissions
80
111
95
164
148
145
138
113


Rate
9.8
12.3
10.6
15.1
13.5
14.3
13.8
10.1


Tayside
Discharges
33,498
35,246
39,450
40,589
39,183
39,465
40,587
40,309


Emergency readmissions
3,530
3,969
4,272
4,411
4,499
4,294
4,717
4,825


Rate
10.5
11.3
10.8
10.9
11.5
10.9
11.6
12.0


Western Isles
Discharges
2,111
2,181
2,234
2,192
2,536
2,639
2,679
2,599


Emergency readmissions
179
204
241
230
263
306
320
299


Rate
8.5
9.4
10.8
10.5
10.4
11.6
11.9
11.5



  PData for 2004 are considered to be provisional.

  Notes:

  These figures are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  The basic unit of analysis for these figures is a continuous stay in hospital. Probability matching methods have been used to link together individual SMR01 hospitals episodes for each patient, thereby creating "linked" patient histories. Within these patient histories, SMR01 episodes are grouped according to whether they form part of a continuous spell of treatment (whether or not this involves transfer between hospitals or even health boards).

  Patients are counted as an emergency readmission if they are admitted as an emergency to any NHSScotland hospital for any diagnosis within 28 days of discharge from an index stay.

  Cases are excluded where the patient has died in hospital or has died within 28 days of discharge.

  The indicator presented adopts a conventional approach that relies on the statistical circumstance that the distribution of the interval to emergency readmission forms a distinct peak in the days immediately following discharge. Readmissions fall away thereafter to approach the background level of admission. This suggests that there is a strong probability that readmissions in the period following discharge are in fact related to that discharge. The period of 28 days is to some extent arbitrary, but has been widely adopted as maximising the trade off between including as many related readmissions as possible and excluding as many unrelated readmissions as possible.

Housing

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 21 of Planning Advice Note 74: Affordable Housing, whether it will outline the current and proposed procedures which govern the disposal of land for affordable housing by public bodies, including itself, on a favourable basis; whether it is making representations to the UK Government and public bodies accountable to the UK Government to dispose of land in Scotland on a similar basis, and, if so, how successful these representations have been.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Housing Policy Statement published by the Executive in March emphasised our commitment to the better use of surplus public sector land for affordable housing. This commitment is being taken forward in a number of ways.

  Scottish Executive land that is deemed surplus to requirements is notified internally to Executive Departments. Communities Scotland is notified through this process, and given the opportunity to register an interest in the land on behalf of registered social Landlords (RSLs) who may wish to purchase the land for affordable housing. Additionally, we have announced a willingness to release land for affordable housing from the Scottish ministers’ estate, almost all of which is crofting land.

  The Executive is working with other public bodies, including UK Government Departments, to develop framework agreements with a view to securing transfers of surplus land for affordable housing in areas where particular need has been identified. This approach has resulted in an agreement being reached with Forestry Commission Scotland who, in handling sales of surplus land, now provide a preferential opportunity for RSLs to acquire the land for affordable housing. It is hoped that similar agreements can be reached with other bodies in the near future.

  Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, where a local authority proposes to dispose of land for less than the best that can be reasonably obtained, then consent must first be given by the Scottish Ministers. This consent regime was amended by section 11 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 which provides that local authorities can decide on their own proposals for the disposal of land at less than market price subject to the application of regulations and guidance issued by ministers. Consultation on draft statutory guidance was undertaken earlier this year and proposals for implementation are being developed.

Justice

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were cautioned for crimes and offences relating to G8 protests, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: The police in Scotland do not issue formal cautions. Should an individual be suspected of committing an offence, he or she will be charged and a report will be prepared for the Procurator Fiscal.

Land

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proposals are being considered to meet any increased demand for funding from the Scottish Land Fund and to ensure its sustainability.

Nicol Stephen: Earlier this year the Big Lottery Fund, in partnership with the Executive, consulted on the fund’s draft Scottish funding framework which sets-out themes, outcomes and priorities for new initiatives from 2006 to 2009. Promoting community land ownership is one of the (21) priorities set out in the framework. The next stage is for the Executive to formally consult the fund on draft policy directions for the new initiatives.

  Design of the initiatives and delivery is a matter for the fund and we expect them to announce later this year their strategy for delivering the framework.

Lottery Funding

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of funding awarded to each local authority area from each lottery fund in each of the last five years, expressed also on a per capita basis.

Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-5587 on 28 January 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Contracts

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of NHS contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of NHS contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on NHS contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland is not held centrally. The awarding of contracts by NHSScotland is done locally by NHS boards or when a national contract is being awarded, by Scottish Healthcare Supplies.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many neurologists were practising in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table shows the number of Consultant Neurologists and Specialist Registrars working in neurology, employed by NHSScotland at 30 September in each of the last five years. Figures are presented as headcount and whole-time equivalent (WTE). WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004. An additional five WTE SpR places in neurology were allocated in August 2005.

  

Year
ConsultantHeadcount
WTE
RegistrarHeadcount
WTE


2000
40
35.9
10
10


2001
41
36.3
16
15.2


2002
47
42.1
17
16.8


2003
45
39.8
25
24.2


2004
47
41.2
25
24.2

National Health Service

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19593 by Mr Andy Kerr on 14 October 2005, whether it will provide a list of all hospitals which are not linked to the Community Health Index number system, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The 42 major hospitals in Scotland have access to the Community Health Index. We do not hold information centrally about systems used by community hospitals.

National Health Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many surgeons have (a) left and (b) started work in each NHS board in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on leavers and joiners is not collected centrally. However, annual census of Hospital, Community and Public Health services (HCHS) staff at 30 September can be used to estimate the number of staff that have left and joined NHSScotland by comparing staff in post on a census in one year with those in post the previous year.

  Information is available for the years 1999 to 2004. The following tables show the number of consultants in surgical specialties that have left and joined each NHS board during that time period. Figures include staff moving between NHS boards as well as those leaving and joining surgical specialties within NHSScotland.

  Information for the years 1994 to 1998 would incur disproportionate cost to determine.

  

Health Board
1999-2000
2000-01


Leavers
Joiners
Leavers
Joiners


NHS Scotland
39
40
39
59


NHS Argyll and Clyde
2
4
3
0


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
3
2
1
3


NHS Borders
0
2
0
1


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
2
2
0
1


NHS Fife
0
1
6
6


NHS Forth Valley
3
2
1
4


NHS Grampian
6
7
6
10


NHS Greater Glasgow
10
6
6
12


NHS Highland
1
2
1
2


NHS Lanarkshire
1
3
3
7


NHS Lothian
6
3
8
12


NHS Orkney
0
0
0
0


NHS Shetland
0
0
0
0


NHS Tayside
5
4
3
1


NHS Western Isles
0
1
1
0


Special Health Boards
0
1
0
0


Golden Jubilee
0
0
0
0



  

Health Board
2001-02
2002-03


Leavers
Joiners
Leavers
Joiners


NHS Scotland
31
37
33
52


NHS Argyll and Clyde
3
2
1
4


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
1
5
0
1


NHS Borders
0
0
0
1


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
0
2


NHS Fife
3
1
2
4


NHS Forth Valley
1
1
3
2


NHS Grampian
4
8
3
6


NHS Greater Glasgow
7
8
14
15


NHS Highland
2
2
0
4


NHS Lanarkshire
3
1
4
2


NHS Lothian
4
4
5
8


NHS Orkney
0
0
0
0


NHS Shetland
0
1
1
1


NHS Tayside
3
3
0
1


NHS Western Isles
0
0
0
0


Special Health Boards
0
0
0
0


Golden Jubilee
0
1
0
1



  

Health Board
2003-04


Leavers
Joiners


NHS Scotland
29
49


NHS Argyll and Clyde
3
3


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
0
3


NHS Borders
2
2


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
1
0


NHS Fife
4
8


NHS Forth Valley
1
1


NHS Grampian
6
7


NHS Greater Glasgow
4
6


NHS Highland
1
4


NHS Lanarkshire
2
4


NHS Lothian
1
9


NHS Orkney
0
0


NHS Shetland
0
0


NHS Tayside
2
2


NHS Western Isles
1
0


Special Health Boards
0
0


Golden Jubilee
1
0



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  Leavers: This is the numbers of consultants who were in substantive post at the 30 September Census that year but were not in post at the next census.

  Joiners: This is the numbers of consultants who were in substantive post at the 30 September Census that year but were not in post the previous year.

  Special Health Boards includes NHS Education Scotland, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and NHS Health Scotland.

Oil and Gas Industry

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government on the importance to the Scottish economy of fiscal stability in the tax regime for UK oil and gas production.

Allan Wilson: The oil and gas industry makes a significant contribution to the Scottish economy – and the Executive supports measures that would extend the life of production in the North Sea.

  The industry has made representations to the Executive, the Department of Trade and Industry, and others – setting out their case that a stable fiscal regime should be maintained in relation to the North Sea, where continued investment is required to maintain production. We have regular dialogue with Westminster ministers and we will continue to ensure that Scottish interests are fully understood by the United Kingdom Government. The Scottish Executive is also in regular contact with the industry through its membership and participation in PILOT.

Police

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget has been for each police force in each year since 1999, broken down into the (a) Executive and (b) local authority contribution.

Cathy Jamieson: Information relating to Police Grant Aided Expenditure is shown in the following table.

  1999-2000

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
16,786
16,127
32,913


Dumfries and Galloway
10,614
10,198
20,812


Fife
19,869
19,089
38,958


Grampian
31,155
29,934
61,089


Lothian and Borders
66,036
63,447
129,483


Northern
18,967
18,223
37,190


Strathclyde
173,023
166,237
339,260


Tayside
28,058
26,957
55,015


Scotland
364,508
350,212
714,720



  2000-01

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
17,069
16,399
33,468


Dumfries and Galloway
10,872
10,446
21,318


Fife
21,243
20,409
41,652


Grampian
32,097
30,838
62,935


Lothian and Borders
68,214
65,538
133,752


Northern
19,897
19,117
39,014


Strathclyde
179,613
172,570
352,183


Tayside
29,375
28,223
57,598


Scotland
378,380
363,540
741,920



  2001-02

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
18,136
17,424
35,560


Dumfries and Galloway
11,551
11,099
22,650


Fife
22,445
21,565
44,010


Grampian
34,920
33,550
68,470


Lothian and Borders
71,855
69,038
140,893


Northern
21,700
20,850
42,550


Strathclyde
189,179
181,761
370,940


Tayside
31,340
30,111
61,450


Scotland
401,125
385,398
786,523



  2002-03

  

Force
Executive Contribution 
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
18,806
18,068
36,874


Dumfries and Galloway
11,829
11,365
23,194


Fife
22,629
21,741
44,370


Grampian
36,927
35,479
72,406


Lothian and Borders
76,059
73,077
149,136


Northern
22,194
21,324
43,518


Strathclyde
198,461
190,679
389,140


Tayside
32,377
31,107
63,484


Scotland
419,282
402,840
822,122



  2003-04

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
20,555
19,749
40,304


Dumfries and Galloway
12,579
12,085
24,664


Fife
25,230
24,241
49,471


Grampian
40,024
38,454
78,478


Lothian and Borders
81,503
78,307
159,810


Northern
23,802
22,869
46,671


Strathclyde
214,722
206,301
421,023


Tayside
34,850
33,483
68,333


Scotland
453,265
435,489
888,754



  2004-05

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
21,600
20,753
42,353


Dumfries and Galloway
13,359
12,836
26,195


Fife
26,997
25,939
52,936


Grampian
43,004
41,317
84,321


Lothian and Borders
86,080
82,704
168,784


Northern
24,960
23,982
48,942


Strathclyde
226,476
217,594
444,070


Tayside
36,390
34,963
71,353


Scotland
478,866
460,088
938,954



  2005-06

  

Force
Executive Contribution
Local Authorities
Contribution
Total


Central
23,452
22,532
45,984


Dumfries and Galloway
14,262
13,703
27,965


Fife
29,684
28,519
58,203


Grampian
45,574
43,786
89,360


Lothian and Borders
91,205
87,628
178,833


Northern
25,700
24,692
50,392


Strathclyde
242,976
233,448
476,424


Tayside
38,960
37,433
76,393


Scotland
511,813
491,741
1,003,554



  Police budgets are also set on the basis of further amounts which are paid with respect to police central government, capital projects and loan charges. These are paid in full by the Executive and so there is no local authority share.

  Similarly, local authorities can decide to set police budgets at a level which is greater than GAE. Where that happens, the additional cost is met in full by the local authority and so there is no Scottish Executive share.

Police

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine the recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Meeting the Standard: A Thematic Inspection of the Scottish Crime Recording Standard , which indicates that Grampian Police has a low resolution rate on reported crime; whether the same reporting procedures are in place across all police forces, and, if so, why there are differing results across the police force areas.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2004 and has been applied by all forces, including Grampian. Figures collected by the Scottish Executive show that crime clear-up rates for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray are below the Scottish average.

  Grampian Police has traditionally committed significant resources to crime prevention and crime reduction as part of its approach to community policing and success in these areas is not always evident in a singular performance indicator such as clear-up rates. For example, the number offences recorded per 10,000 population in Grampian is lower than the Scottish average.

  That said, the force is not complacent and is currently undertaking a review of activities in support of detections.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the suicide rate is in each prison and how this compares with that in the general population.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table sets out the number of self-inflicted deaths at each establishment for the last six years.

  

Establishment
Year


1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Aberdeen
1
0
0
2
0
2


Barlinnie
5
5
4
3
1
1


Castle Huntly
0
0
0
0
0
1


Cornton Vale
0
0
2
1
0
1


Dumfries
1
0
0
0
0
0


Edinburgh
2
2
1
0
1
0


Glenochil
1
1
0
0
1
0


Greenock
2
1
0
0
0
0


Inverness
0
1
0
0
1
1


Kilmarnock
1
1
2
2
1
0


Low Moss
0
0
0
0
0
0


Noranside
0
0
0
0
0
0


Perth
1
0
1
0
0
2


Peterhead
1
0
0
0
0
0


Polmont
0
0
1
0
0
0


Shotts
2
0
0
0
0
1



  It is not possible due to the movement of prisoners around the prison estate to produce meaningful suicide rates per prison. However, there were 21,664 individuals held in prison in Scotland for part or all of 2004-05, and the nine self-inflicted deaths is equivalent to a rate of 4.15 per 10,000.

  From information provided by the Registrar General, there were 835 deaths in Scotland in 2004 from "intentional self-harm" and "events of undetermined intent", a rate of 1.6 per 10,000. But this does not compare with the in prison rate as the age profile of the prisoner population is significantly younger than that of the general population and around 95% of prisoners are men.

Procurement

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the small and medium-sized enterprises that have won public procurement contracts in Scotland in each year since 1999 were Scottish-based, expressed also as a percentage of total contracts awarded.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally and therefore could only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Renewable Energy

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what fees are payable to the Scottish Executive for a planning application for a wind turbine development of over 50 megawatts, referred to it under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, and how such fees relate to the cost of processing the application.

Allan Wilson: The fees for such applications, as amended by The Electricity (Applications for Consent) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (2005 No. 295), which came into effect on 1 July 2005, are as follows:

  

Subject Matter of Application for Consent
Fee


1. Construction or construction and operation of a generating station of megawatt capacity -
 


(a) not exceeding 100
£15,000.00


(b) exceeding 100 but not exceeding 200
£20,000.00


(c) exceeding 200 but not exceeding 500
£30,000.00


(d) exceeding 500
£50,000.00


2. Extension or extension and operation of a generating station resulting in increase in megawatt capacity -
 


(a) not exceeding 100
£15,000.00


(b) exceeding 100 but not exceeding 200
£20,000.00


(c) exceeding 200 but not exceeding 500
£30,000.00


(d) exceeding 500
£50,000.00


3. Any other extension of a generating station
£1,000.00


4. Operation only or change to manner of operation of a generating station
£1,000.00



  These fees replace those in place since 1990 and are shared between the Executive and the relevant planning authority in order to contribute to the costs to each of processing these applications.

Renewable Energy

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19408 by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005, how it plans to meet the EU Directive on biofuels, 2003/30/EC, which requires member states to set indicative targets for biofuel sales by 2010 with a reference value of 5.75% of all petrol and diesel sold for transport purposes and whether the Executive is planning to take a lead on this.

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19406 on 30 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has applied for a share of any money that remains in the Department of Trade and Industry’s renewables obligation fund; how much remains in the fund, and whether it will prioritise a proportion of any such funding for the development of biomass-fuelled district heating and combined heating and power projects.

Nicol Stephen: There is no central fund connected with the Renewables Obligation. However, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has been operating a Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme during the last two years, available to suitable applicants from across Great Britain. Initially worth around £66 million, funds from the scheme have all now been committed (including an award to the biomass power plant recently confirmed as going ahead at Lockerbie). DTI is currently considering how to proceed in terms of funds committed from that scheme but not yet spent.

  The Scottish Executive is currently considering ways in which it might support and accelerate a range of renewables developments, including biomass heat and power, and district heating.

Renewable Energy

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish an evaluation of the Scottish Communities and Householder Renewables initiative.

Nicol Stephen: The evaluation of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative will be published on our website before the end of the year.

Schools

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s most recent PPP application for improvement of its school estate.

Peter Peacock: The Executive has responded with a conditional offer of financial support for the council’s rescoped PPP project.

Schools

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse is available to parents who consider that the school estate statutory consultation process has not been conducted properly.

Peter Peacock: Where an authority proposes a specific change to school provision of a type for which statutory consultation is required, it is the authority’s responsibility to conduct the consultation in accordance with the statutory requirements.

  I indicated in evidence which I gave to the Education Committee on 26 October 2005 my intention to engage with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the way in which current guidance is operating and how we can secure best and consistent consultation practice across Scotland.

Scottish Agricultural Wages Board

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been made on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Ross Finnie: Following the Executive’s review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board initiated last year, and taking account of views expressed in the course of a public consultation exercise, we have concluded that the board should continue to operate within the existing statutory framework. The next review of the board is likely to take place in 2010-11.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it is able to provide on the names of all the fingerprint experts from the Scottish Criminal Records Office or other Scottish fingerprint bureau who were involved in expert examination related to the Lockerbie investigation, on what material each worked on, and on what their findings were.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it is able to provide on the names of any Scottish fingerprint experts who were cited as witnesses at the Lockerbie trial or were precognosced in this connection.

Colin Boyd QC: Fingerprint examination was carried out in the Lockerbie investigation in 1991 and 1992 by officers of Lothian and Borders Police, who compared fingerprints taken from Maltese immigration documents, hotel registration cards and other documents. The officers involved in this work were cited as witnesses in the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist.

  Some of the documents were in the name "Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi" and some in the name of "Ahmed Khalifa Abdusamad".

  It was later established in the Lockerbie trial that Megrahi entered Malta from Tripoli on the evening of 20 December 1988 and left for Tripoli on the morning of 21 December 1988, at a time when the improvised explosive device was placed on an Air Malta flight to Frankfurt, using a false Libyan passport in the name of "Ahmed Khalifa Abdusamad" issued on the instructions of the Libyan Intelligence Service. The fact that this false passport belonged to Megrahi and was used by him on these dates was accepted by the defence.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it is able to provide on whether Chief Superintendent Harry Bell of Strathclyde Police and later head of the Scottish Criminal Records Office was involved in the Lockerbie investigation and, if he was, on what his duties were, over what period he performed them and what domestic and foreign agencies he liaised with in this connection.

Colin Boyd QC: Chief Superintendent Harry Bell, now retired as Head of the Scottish Criminal Records Office, was a Chief Inspector in Strathclyde Police at the time of the Lockerbie bombing and was sent to Lockerbie in the immediate aftermath of the bombing as part of Strathclyde Police’s assistance to Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary.

  He was initially involved in the supervision of part of the crime scene in Lockerbie and then took part in the criminal investigation which led to the conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence agent, in January 2001.

  His work on the criminal investigation involved enquiries in Japan to identify the improvised explosive device, in the United States of America in connection with the forensic evidence and in Malta to identify the purchaser of clothing which was part of the improvised explosive device and was recovered from the crime scene. In all of these countries he worked closely with the local law enforcement agencies as part of the investigation and in the United Kingdom worked closely with all law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.

  His work with the investigation came to an end in 1992 when he returned to duties at Strathclyde Police.

  He later gave evidence in the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist in connection with his work on the investigation.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it is able to provide on the names of the Scottish Criminal Records Office personnel who were involved at any stage of the Lockerbie investigation and their duties.

Colin Boyd QC: I will provide a full answer to the member in due course once the records of the Lockerbie criminal investigation have been examined.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives Scottish Enterprise has achieved since its inception.

Nicol Stephen: The Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act (1990) sets out the powers and functions of Scottish Enterprise. In 2001, ministers set the medium-term strategic direction for the organisation in A Smart, Successful Scotland , refreshed in 2004. Progress measures, reflecting SSS priorities, are set out in annual measuring Scotland’s progress towards A Smart, Successful Scotland  reports. Progress against priorities will vary depending on the starting point, external conditions and is not solely a matter for Scottish Enterprise. The latest of these reports will be published later this month.

  Outputs which contribute to progress are detailed in Scottish Enterprise’s Annual Report.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives Highlands and Islands Enterprise has achieved since its inception.

Nicol Stephen: The Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act (1990) sets out the powers and functions of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. In 2001, ministers set the medium-term strategic direction for the organisation in A Smart, Successful Scotland , refreshed in 2004. Progress measures, reflecting SSS priorities, are set out in measuring Scotland’s progress towards A Smart, Successful Scotland  reports. Progress against priorities will vary depending on the starting point, external conditions and is not solely a matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The latest of these reports will be published later this month.

  Outputs which contribute to progress are detailed in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s annual report.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of Scottish Enterprise contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of Scottish Enterprise contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Nicol Stephen: The Management Statement between the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise allows Scottish Enterprise to acquire goods and services without the Executive’s prior approval. It must do so in line with the guidelines on procurement set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and any other guidance issued from time to time by the Executive. The awarding of contracts is therefore entirely an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of Highlands and Islands Enterprise contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of Highlands and Islands Enterprise contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Nicol Stephen: The Management Statement between the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise allows Highlands and Islands Enterprise to acquire goods and services without the Executive’s prior approval. It must do so in line with the guidelines on procurement set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and any other guidance issued from time to time by the Executive. The awarding of contracts is therefore an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Scottish Opera

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any approaches from Scottish Opera seeking funding for it to perform in Aberdeen.

Patricia Ferguson: No. The provision of public funding for opera performance is a matter, on the one hand, for the Scottish Arts Council and, on the other, for the relevant local authorities. The Scottish Executive expects national companies such as Scottish Opera to serve the whole of Scotland.

Scottish Opera

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response would be to a business case being made by Scottish Opera for funding for it to perform in Aberdeen.

Patricia Ferguson: Scottish Opera is required to operate within the resources made available by the Scottish Executive to the Scottish Arts Council. I understand that planning is underway for the 2006-07 season and that Scottish Opera hopes to be able to mount main-scale opera in the north-east in 2007.

St Andrew's Day

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of the (a) location and (b) nature of events being hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to mark St Andrew’s Day 2005; what involvement it will have in such events; what requests it made for such events to be held, and what other St Andrew’s Day events, not hosted by it or the FCO, it will be involved in.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has asked all Foreign and Commonwealth Office overseas posts to advise us of any St Andrew’s Day events they are aware are happening in their country. We will make that information available to you once we have received it. We are offering support to all FCO posts by making marketing materials available for use at events.

  The First Minister will be sending his annual message to all FCO posts to be read not only at all FCO sponsored events but events attended by Ambassadors and High Commissioners.

  We are aware of the following events taking place:

  The Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, (Central Asia), the Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia and the Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia are holding St Andrew’s Day receptions.

  The event in Dunshanbe will be used to mark the opening of the Residence, by inviting local expatriates, Non-Government Organisation’s (NGO’s) and other embassies. The others will also invite Government Ministers, NGOs, expatriates and others.

  The Scottish Executive are involved in a St Andrew’s Day Ceilidh being held at The Hub, Edinburgh. The Scottish Executive will provide support on branding and marketing. Posters will be circulated to universities to encourage international students to attend.

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it offers mature students who have dependents.

Nicol Stephen: All eligible students studying at further education level can apply to their college for a discretionary bursary to help meet the costs of living whilst studying. Eligible students studying at Higher Education level may apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for a student loan to help with living costs.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive offers a range of support to mature students with dependants. At further education level, mature students with a financial, care or legal responsibility for a dependant adult can apply for a Dependants’ Allowance of £46.02 per week (2005-06 figure) from their college. Mature students with dependant children may also apply for an award from their college’s Childcare Fund. It should be noted that all funding at further education level is provided at the discretion of the student’s college on a means-tested basis.

  At higher education level, mature students can claim an Adult Dependants’ Grant of up to £2,395 per year (2005-06 figure) from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for a dependant partner to whom they are legally married. Lone parent students studying on a full-time basis may also apply for a Lone Parents’ Grant of up to £1,180 per year (2005-06 figure) and a Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant of up to £1,100 per year (2005-06 figure) from the Students Awards Agency for Scotland. Full-time student parents may also apply for a discretionary award from their institution’s Childcare Fund.

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in relation to the allocation of dependents’ grants.

Nicol Stephen: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) is an executive agency and is therefore part of the Scottish Executive’s Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Group. The SAAS acts for ministers, and as such, develops its own operational guidance for the delivery of student support, including the allocation of Adult Dependants’ Grant.

  Policy responsibility for the Adult Dependants’ Grant and other higher education support lies with Funding for Learners Division, which is part of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department. Funding for Learners and SAAS work closely together to develop and monitor policy relating to Higher Education student support. Further information on the work of Funding for Learners Division can be found online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/FFL/Intro. Further information on the work of SAAS is available at www.saas.gov.uk.

  SAAS issues the Guide to Student Support annually, which provides information on the support administered by SAAS, and the application process. The guide is available online at http://www.saas.gov.uk/_forms/SAS4_05_06.pdf. Hard copies of the guide can be obtained from: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Gyleview House, 3 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh, EH12 9HH.

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students are in receipt of a dependents’ grant for the current academic session.

Nicol Stephen: Figures for the number of students in receipt of a Dependants’ Grant in the current academic session are presently unavailable. The figures for the current academic session will be published in late 2006.

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of recipients of a dependents’ grant from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland are married.

Nicol Stephen: All students in receipt of an Adult Dependants’ Grant from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland are married. It is a stipulation of the current policy on Adult Dependants’ Grant that a student may only receive an Adult Dependants’ Grant in respect of a partner to whom he or she is legally married.

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the procedures for awarding dependents’ grants.

Nicol Stephen: My officials recently undertook a review of the student support arrangements in Scotland, which was completed in September 2004. A number of areas of student support were identified for immediate, priority or medium-term action. The final report of the Funding for Learners Review is available online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20899/55194 .

  Although the Dependants’ Grant was not specifically highlighted as part of the review, one of the areas identified for medium-term policy review was the modernisation of the means test for student support.

  Accordingly, my officials have recently begun a review of the means test arrangements which apply to the student support system. As part of this project, they will identify options to modernise the means test in order to take into account the varying structures of modern families, and to ensure the means test arrangements are both fair and equitable. This review is likely to have an impact on the eligibility for Adult Dependants’ Grant by widening the definition of the term "married couple" to include co-habiting couples and civil partnerships.

  Changes resulting from this project will not impact on students before academic year 2007-08.

Tourism

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives VisitScotland has achieved since its inception.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive’s New Strategy for Scottish Tourism 2000-2005, published in 2000, included eleven high-level targets against which the success of the Strategy could be measured in 2005. Some have already been exceeded, but volume and value data for 2005 will not be available until 2006, when a full assessment of performance against these targets will be made.

Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on transport provided for children travelling to and from school in each of the last five years, broken down by school.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Young People

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific targeted measures it has taken to reduce the number of 16 to 19-year-olds not in employment, education or training; how much each measure has cost, and what impact each has had.

Allan Wilson: The combination of a wide range of mainstream and targeted policies spanning early years, education, children’s services, regeneration, enterprise and lifelong learning underpin the Executive’s approach to reducing the size of the not in employment, education or training (NEET) group. These include Determined to Succeed; Skills for Work courses in schools; school/college collaboration and Education Maintenance Allowances. It is not possible to disaggregate their individual contribution to NEET prevention and reduction.

  Main national programmes targeted specifically at young people not in education, employment or training or at risk of becoming NEET are as follows:

  

Measure
Purpose
Delivered by
Annual spend
Outcomes


Key workers and targeted programmes
One to one advice and guidance and early intervention programmes
Careers Scotland (Scottish Enterprise [SEn] and Highlands and Islands Enterprise [HIE])
Key workers: £4.25 millionSEn CS programmes: £1.6 million
Key workers: 2236 young people into sustained education/ employment/training (e/e/t)


Get Ready for Work
Training programme for young people with additional needs
Enterprise Networks (SEn and HIE)
£21.2 million
2,892 young people progressing onto sustained e/e/t